Strip pickup tool



NOV. 19, 1968 NORDSTROM 3,411,818

STRIP PICKUP TOOL Filed Oct. 12, 1966 7 .Lfi 3- I ---3 -7 /4 INVENTOK DONAZDB. NORDSTROM ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,411,818 STRIP PICKUP TOOL Donald B. Nordstrom, Leonardo, N.J., assignor to The Bendix Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 586,085 4 Claims. (Cl. 29433) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device having spring-loaded pins for extending into holes in a strip, which are normally required for registration, which puts tension on the strips to hold them on the pins.

The present invention relates to a pickup tool and more particularly to a tool for picking up narrow strips of thin material.

Narrow strips of a material in which the length is several times the multiple of its width and of a thickness so small as to lift them from a plane surface. As an example, collector strips of transistors may be formed out of thin silver, copper or alloy strips and if lifted by hand, would be distorted. Such distortion would be detrimental and would not be suitable for fabricating a transistor.

Heretofor, vacuum pickup devices have been considered for such an application, however, they proved to have a number of disadvantages, one is that the vacuum would drop the strip.

Another is that silver, copper or alloys thereof are difficult to form a vacuum seal thereon, thus causing damage from dropping the material.

The present invention provides a device in which spring loaded pins extend into holes, which are normally required for registration during production, which puts the strip under tension. This enables the operator to carry the strip from one location to another.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved pickup device.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide an improved pickup device for handling thin metalic strips.

Another object of the invention is to provide improve means for handling Semiconductor devices and parts.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein one example is illustrated by way of example.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of a pickup tool embodying the invention.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the tool of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end view taken along the lines 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a plane view of a typical strip for utilization of the tool of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to FIGURES 1, 2, and 3 of the drawing, a pickup tool is designated generally by the numeral 5. The tool 5 has a U-shaped frame 6 which includes 3,41 1,818 Patented Nov. 19, 1968 "ice legs 7 and 8. The leg 7 has an outwardly extending flange 9 and the leg 8 has a corresponding outwardly extending flange 10.

A spring member 11 is secured to the frame 6 by a screw 12, or other suitable means, and extends through an oblong opening 13 (see FIGURE 3) in the flange 9. A tip 14 is secured to the end of the spring 11. The spring 11 is designed to exert an outward pressure. A somewhat similar spring 15 is secured to the other side of the frame 6 by a screw 16, or other suitable means, and extends through an opening 17 in the flange 10. A tip 18 is secured to the end of the spring 15. The springs 11 and 15 may be of music wire or any other suitable material and the tips 14 and 18 may be of brass or other suitable material.

In operation, the operator depresses the spring 11 to move it inward and inserts the tips 14 and 18 in holes 19 and 20 of a strip 21 to be picked up (see FIGURE 4). After inserting the tips 14 and 18 in the holes 19 and 20 in the strip 21, the operator releases the spring 11 and the strip 21 is placed in tension on the tips 14 and 18. To release, the spring 11 is depressed which removes the tension and permits withdrawal of the tool 5.

While only the spring 11 have been indicated as being depressable, it is understood that either or both springs could be depressed.

Although only one embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, various changes in the form and relative arrangement of the parts, which will now appear to those skilled in the art, may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A pickup tool for picking up strips of thin material having locating holes therein comprising a Ushaped frame having outwardly extending flanges on the ends of the U, openings in said flanges, one of said openings being elongated, spring means secured to the sides of said U and extending through said openings and normally biased to exert an outward pressure, said elongated openings permitting said spring means to be compressed for insertion in said holes and permitting said spring means to place said strips in tension upon said compression being released.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 and including tips on the ends of said springs for inserting in holes in said strip.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which said spring means are a music wire.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 2 in which said tips are brass.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,068,920 7/1913 Nielson 294-32 2,127,882 8/1938 Morris 29433 3,180,670 4/1965 Pryde 2941 X 3,193,316 7/1965 Custer 294-33 ANDRES H. NIELSEN, Primary Examiner. 

